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Trauma Resilience & Recovery Program (TRRP)
The MUSC Health Trauma Resilience & Recovery Program (TRRP) is a primarily telehealth-based mental health program that provides emotional health education, screening, assessment, counseling, and long-term follow-up to patients recovering from traumatic physical injury — available to patients regardless of where they live in South Carolina.
More than 20 percent of traumatic injury patients experience depression or anxiety in the first year following their injury. TRRP addresses this by providing mental health care at every stage of recovery: during the hospital stay, in the weeks immediately following discharge, and throughout long-term recovery. The program uses evidence-based behavioral therapy techniques to identify and treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression early — before they become entrenched.
TRRP is funded by the Center for Telehealth at MUSC and represents a multidisciplinary partnership between MUSC’s Department of Surgery (General Surgery, Trauma, and Surgical Critical Care), Department of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine), College of Nursing, Center for Telehealth, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center). The program is also expanding to partner trauma centers across South Carolina.
To learn more or to be connected with TRRP services, call 843-792-0979 or visit trrphealth.org.
How does TRRP work?
TRRP provides several levels of care for patients served through MUSC Health’s Level I Trauma Center. Services begin during your hospital stay and continue through telehealth as you recover at home.
During your stay in the hospital, a TRRP team member meets with you to discuss emotional health, answer your questions about what to expect emotionally during recovery, and connect you with the program. You don’t have to be struggling to benefit — early connection with TRRP starts the support process before symptoms develop.
After you leave the hospital, TRRP sends you text messages to check in about stress and mood. You’ll also receive evidence-based tips and strategies to support your emotional recovery during the weeks following your injury. This outreach continues even when you are not yet ready or able to attend appointments.
A TRRP team member calls you approximately one month after your hospital stay to check in on how you are doing emotionally. You’ll receive feedback and support to help you understand and manage any emotional challenges. This assessment can happen at any time — before or after the one-month mark — and is available to patients and family members.
If you are struggling with symptoms of PTSD or depression, TRRP can provide evidence-based counseling services in person or through telehealth. Telehealth appointments allow you to access mental health treatment regardless of where you live or how mobile you are during physical recovery. We can also refer patients with mental health needs that fall outside our services. To reach TRRP counseling services, call 843-792-0979.
Benefits of the program
Most patients in the United States never receive mental health screening or follow-up care after traumatic injury. Few hospitals offer adequate mental health support after injury and hospitalization — and patients may live with symptoms for up to ten years before receiving treatment. TRRP improves access to care by bringing education and evidence-based mental health treatment directly to patients at several stages of recovery.
Because many TRRP patients live more than 25 miles from MUSC Health or are not yet sufficiently mobile due to physical injuries, telehealth is central to the program’s design. Patients can attend appointments from anywhere, via phone or video, without waiting until they are physically recovered or able to travel. This telehealth model allows TRRP to reach patients who would otherwise have no access to post-injury mental health care.
Program leadership
Kenneth Ruggiero, Ph.D.
Director, Digital Health Solutions Program - SC Clinical & Translational Research Institute
South Carolina SmartState Chair, Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles
Professor, College of Nursing
Ken Ruggiero, PhD, is Professor and SmartState Endowed Chair of the Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL), as well as Director of the Telehealth Resilience and Recovery Program. He received his BA from the State University of New York at Buffalo and MA and PhD from West Virginia University, and completed his internship and NIMH postdoc at MUSC. Dr. Ruggiero’s research centers on the development, testing, and implementation of technology-enhanced interventions. Most of his early research focused on brief, web-based self-help interventions. Over time, this work evolved into the use and evaluation of technology-based stepped care approaches for victims of disaster and serious injury. He is PI on an active NIH grant (through 2021) to conduct a randomized controlled trial of Bounce Back Now, a smartphone-based intervention for disaster survivors in partnership with the American Red Cross. He is also Co-PI on an active Duke Endowment grant (through 2020) to adapt and implement the Telehealth Resilience and Recovery Program in three partnering trauma centers in South Carolina.
Tatiana Davidson, Ph.D.
Director, Center of Excellence in Behavioral Health Nursing
Co-Director, Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP)
Endowed Chair of Innovation in Behavioral Health
Professor, College of Nursing
Dr. Tatiana Davidson is a tenured professor of Nursing and Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is the Endowed Chair of Innovation in Behavioral Health and director of the Center of Excellence in Behavioral Health Nursing in the College of Nursing. Her research has focused on the development, evaluation, and implementation of technology-enhanced resources and clinical programs to improve access and quality of care available to youth, adults, and families who develop mental health conditions secondary to traumatic events. To this end, Dr. Davidson has acted as principal investigator and co-investigator in numerous well-designed and federally, state, and foundation-funded (i.e., National Institutes of Health, Duke Endowment Foundation, Victims of Crime Program) studies focused on the development, evaluation, and implementation of technology-enhanced clinical programs and interventions for addressing health (e.g., diabetes) and mental health (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder) problems among trauma-affected children, teens, and adults.
Leigh Ridings, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing
Leigh Ridings, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She received her BS from the University of Kentucky and PhD from Oklahoma State University with an emphasis in clinical child psychology. She completed her internship at Baylor College of Medicine and her postdoctoral research fellowship at MUSC. Dr. Ridings is the Associate Director of Child and Family Services for the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP) at MUSC, an interdisciplinary service that provides evidence-based mental health screening, education, and treatment for children and adults hospitalized for traumatic injury.
Clinical and research staff
Margaret Anton, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Anton is a Postdoctoral Fellow with TRRP. She is a clinical psychologist and supports research and clinical initiatives.
Jennifer Winkelmann, LPC
Program Manager
Ms. Winkelmann is the Program Manager of TRRP and a licensed professional counselor. She leads the program data management and supports research initiatives.
Olivia Eilers, BS
Program Coordinator & Training Manager
Ms. Eilers is the Program Coordinator and Training Manager of TRRP. She coordinates patient care and trainings through the clinic. She also leads daily operations.
Meagan Mack, MA
Program Coordinator
Ms. Mack is a program coordinator with TRRP. She supports daily operations including screening, treatment, coordinating patient care, and research initiatives.
TRRP frequently asked questions
TRRP is MUSC Health’s telehealth-based mental health program for traumatic injury survivors. It provides emotional health education, screening, assessment, counseling for PTSD and depression, and long-term follow-up — beginning during your hospital stay and continuing through your recovery at home. TRRP is available to patients throughout South Carolina via telehealth.
TRRP is for adults and adolescents who have experienced a traumatic physical injury and may be at risk for depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program is connected to MUSC Health’s Level I Trauma Center in Charleston — most patients enter the program after a hospital stay. Family members of injured patients may also benefit from support.
TRRP connects with most patients during their hospital stay at MUSC Health. After discharge, the program reaches out by text and phone to check in on your recovery. If you feel you or a family member are struggling emotionally after a traumatic injury, you can reach out directly: call 843-792-0979 or visit trrphealth.org. You do not need to wait for a referral.
Yes. TRRP is primarily telehealth-based and specifically designed for patients who live far from MUSC Health or who are not yet mobile enough to travel for in-person appointments. Counseling sessions can be conducted by phone or video from anywhere in South Carolina. In-person appointments are also available for eligible patients.
TRRP specializes in screening for and treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the context of traumatic physical injury. The program uses evidence-based behavioral therapy techniques to identify symptoms early and begin treatment before they become severe. TRRP can also refer patients to other providers for mental health needs that fall outside the program’s scope.
Yes. TRRP’s telehealth model allows it to serve patients across South Carolina regardless of where they live. The program also has partner sites at Prisma Health in Columbia and Trident Medical Center, with local program coordinators. If you are a patient at one of these facilities, contact the site coordinator for more information.
Contact TRRP
You do not need a referral to reach TRRP. If you or a family member are struggling emotionally after a traumatic injury, contact the program directly.
Call TRRP:
843-792-0979
Program website:
trrphealth.org
